All articles

Can community information raise state capacity to provide property titles?

State capacity to provide property titles is limited in developing countries. Evidence from Tanzania suggests that community information on the willingness-to-pay for titles can help low-capacity governments determine fees and improve property titlin...

Public Economics

Tanner Regan Martina Manara

Published

17.03.25

Pedalling towards gender equality and empowerment

In Bihar, India and in rural Zambia, the government introduced programmes to address gender gaps in education by providing adolescent girls with bicycles for their commute to school. Discussing the immediate and long-term impacts of these initiatives...

Education

Vagisha Pandey Sahil Pawar Nishith Prakash

Published

14.03.25

Post-graduate experience in low-skilled jobs: A stepping stone or a barrier?

Access to higher education has increased considerably in low-income countries over the last two decades. Despite this, many graduates find themselves in low-skilled jobs, raising concerns over the effectiveness of their qualifications in shaping thei...

Labour Markets

Michel Armel Ndayikeza

Published

13.03.25

What type of contracts do microfinance clients prefer?

Research shows that microfinance clients use credit and savings as commitment devices to accumulate lump sums. Evidence from Pakistan suggests high demand for fixed-repayment contracts, but low demand for commitment add-ons in both credit and savings...

Finance

Uzma Afzal Giovanna d'Adda Marcel Fafchamps Simon Quinn Farah Said

Published

12.03.25

Displaced and divided: How some development projects undermine Africa’s pastoral communities, sparking violence

Pastoral regions of Africa are witnessing a sharp increase in armed civil conflict. Research has identified ‘mismatched’ agricultural development projects as one major factor driving this violence by displacing local pastoral groups. However, the evi...

Agriculture

Eoin McGuirk Nathan Nunn

Published

10.03.25

Protecting girls at school: How sanitation infrastructure can reduce sexual violence

In India, over 30% of reported rape cases involve victims under 18, with girls particularly at-risk. Legal reforms and cultural shifts are essential, but slow to implement. Could school toilets provide a short-term solution to the problem?

Health

Pei Gao Aditi Kothari Yu-Hsiang Lei

Published

07.03.25

Who wins wars? The role of economics in military success

It is widely agreed that deep pockets are crucial for military success. Yet, quantitative evidence on the connection between resources and the probability of winning wars is all but missing. Our research seeks to understand the causal relationship be...

Institutions & Political Economy

Jonathan Federle Dominic Rohner Moritz Schularick

Published

06.03.25

Can inclusive institutions balance the development-biodiversity trade-off?

Infrastructure expansion into forests substantially degrades biodiversity. Yet, institutions that centre the voices of forest-dependent communities during project planning can help mitigate species loss.

Energy & Environment

Raahil Madhok

Published

04.03.25

Ngäbe community teacher implements the audio program

Boosting academic success and cultural identity among Indigenous students in Panama

Indigenous students worldwide face significant educational barriers. In Panama, the Ngäbe-Buglé students score among the lowest on national assessments. The JADENKÄ programme, an innovative intercultural bilingual initiative, was launched to address ...

Education

Emma Näslund-Hadley Juan Hernández-Agramonte

Published

03.03.25